text:
I've been blogging here for well over four years now...and this my 530th post! After so much time and output I think the joy of food blogging has finally evaporated for me. Whilst I still love eating out, discovering new cuisines and places to eat, the act of writing about my eating discoveries has become a real chore. I've got a lot coming up over the next few months...new job, holiday to Japan and possibly moving house and I think it's time I gave myself a break from the "chore" of the food blog.
I'm not sure when/if I'll be back yet...but a big thank you to everyone has read my blog and commented over the last four years!


text:
PERC 2010 Abstract Detail Page
Previous Page | New Search | Browse All
Abstract Title: | How to think and talk like a physicist? |
Abstract: | This targeted poster session will focus on projects involving the use of curriculum materials as well as class discussion techniques that will enhance student critical and reflective thinking skills. How can we facilitates a learning environment to assist student to think and talk like a physicist: pursue relevant and reliable knowledge, ask insightful questions, gather relevant information, reason logically from this information, and come to scientific conclusions about the world? We will report on our efforts, success, and challenges in engaging students in such activities. |
Abstract Type: | Targeted Poster Session |
Author/Organizer Information | |
Primary Contact: |
Homeyra Sadaghiani California State Polytechnic University Pomona Physics Department 3801 West Temple Ave. Pomona, CA 91768 Phone: (909)869-5194 |
Targeted Poster Session Specific Information | |
Poster 1 Title: | Developing Thinking & Problem Solving Skills in Introductory Mechanics |
Poster 1 Authors: | Vincent P. Coletta and Jeffrey A. Phillips Department of Physics, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045 USA |
Poster 2 Title: | Critical and Scientific Thinking for Pre-service Elementary Teachers |
Poster 2 Authors: | Homeyra R. Sadaghiani, Physics Department, California State Polytechnic University Pomona |
Poster 3 Title: | Promoting and Studying Deep-level Dialogue During Large-lecture Intro Physics |
Poster 3 Authors: | Dedra Demaree, Sissi Li, and Jennifer Roth, Physics Department, Oregon State University |
Poster 4 Title: | Encouraging Scientific Discourse in the Introductory Physics Classroom |
Poster 4 Authors: | Charles De Leone, Physics department, California State University San Marcos |
Poster 5 Title: | Structuring Classroom Discussion Using Formative Assessment Rubrics |
Poster 5 Authors: | David Brookes, Physics Department, Florida International University |

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Karen Scarpino.
Editor's note: Each issue of the Influential Women enewsletter will feature a profile of one of the Business Journal's reigning Top Women Owned Businesses finalists. The profile first appeared in the event program.
Karen Scarpino believes most growth occurs outside of one's comfort zone.
"To be in the top 10 percent of your industry, you need to do what 90 percent of your competition is not willing to do or not innovative enough to do," Scarpino said.
Global vision
That's why her sister companies, Promotional Impact and Green Giftz, are always "thinking big."
In 2000, Scarpino began direct manufacturing overseas and brought custom-designed products into the U.S. by the container load for industry leaders such as Bissell and Herman Miller.
In 2012, her company began servicing, selling and shipping goods all over the world, including orders for clients in France, Mexico, Canada, China, Japan and Thailand.
Triple bottom line
The global clients are just one part of Scarpino's business model, however.
Green Giftz created a line of products designed and manufactured in West Michigan, using scrap from unused seating fabric, thereby keeping people in West Michigan employed.
"We also provide this service to companies in Michigan where we take their scrap and convert it into useful gifts, such as the award we made for Chrysler's Environmental Leadership Award using timber brought up from the bottom of the Great Lakes, so no new trees were cut down, and recycled glass. We also make photo frames from scrap leather."
These projects contribute to another part of Scarpino's business model: the triple bottom line of planet, people and profit.
The Top Women Owned Businesses judges noted Scarpino's continued success through 2012 and elected to move her to the $1.5-$3.99M revenue category, up from the smaller revenue category where she was nominated.


text:
October Fright Fest-Burnt Offerings
Around 1979 or 1980 my brother and I saw this film on TV on a dark and stormy night. It made an impression on me from the start. A family moves into a large, old house to watch it. They have to care of it and take care of the old woman upstairs. Things quickly go bad as family members run into odd occurances and the mothers begins acting strangely. The situation becomes worse and worse until the family decides to leave the house, but can they leave in time? I never saw the film again until like 15 years later. Not as great as I at first thought, but still enough scares and mystery to keep it going.
Favorite part-
Definitely the ending. Not going to spoil it for you and it may be predicatable, but the ending makes the movie.
Why you should see this film-You have to have some patience, but the acting and the ending make it worthwhile.
If you've seen it before then you should watch it again because-I only watch it every couple of years, but always enjoy it.
Labels: Burnt Offerings, October Fright Fest


text:
Comrades, I bid you greetings. It has been too long that I, Commander Corey of the People's Independent Wrestling Revolution (PIWR), have communicated to our comrades in arms everywhere.
The delay was needed, baring the mind the recent re-launch of another so-called revolution called Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). Whatever hopes we may have had on this front were quickly dashed. Reanimated in body, but lifeless inside, this version of ECW mirrors nothing to the original product and is no doubt an affront to those who were so dedicated to what made the promotion special.
With this bad taste left in my mouth, I felt obligated to send forth troops from the PIWR bunker to seek out an alternative that truly embodies the spirit of hardcore. Mission accomplished; as we proudly present to you Hardcore Homecoming: November Reign Platinum Edition.
This title is but one of several DVDs released under the Hardcore Homecoming (Big Vision Entertainment) banner. The event took place in November of 2005 in the world's most famous bingo hall, the Alhambra arena (ECW arena) in south Philadelphia. When it was all said and done, it would go down as being one the bloodiest events in recent years. Let's follow the blood trail and see where it leads.
Blue Meanie vs Danny Doring
It wasn't bloody, but it stood out for the wrong reason. Blue Meanie returns to action once again, bad dancing in abundance, to face off against fellow ECW alumni, Danny Doring. Aside from the disturbing (extreme?) tongue on nipple incident (this was the wrong reason part), there really wasn't much to write home about. It was a short one, but we at least got to see Meanie pull off his Meaniesault.
Balls Mahoney vs Kronus
The action intensifies with this match as another ECW extremist, Balls Mahoney, takes on Kronus, one half of ECW's famed tag team, the Eliminators. Some wrestling at the beginning, but it was only a matter of time before they took it outside the ring and that's where it got bloody. Both competitors put the guard rails to good use in inflicting punishment on one another. In due course, a steel chair would come into play, making it a bloody, hardcore outing on par with what you'd expect from both men.
CW Anderson vs Matt Hyson (aka Spike Dudley)
This one would end up proving to be a highly entertaining confrontation, as the former enforcer of ECW, CW Anderson, takes on Matt "formerly known as Spike Dudley" Hyson. For Hyson, it was an overdue return to south Philly, with the fans giving him a warm welcome. But this night would also hold special for Anderson, making his in-ring return after recuperating from a severe liver infection. Both men were more that hyped for this one and it showed. A great combination of in-ring action and wild brawling on the outside would ensue, with Hyson showing that he can adapt to any kind of opponent thrown at him, including a technician of the caliber that Anderson is. After the match, Anderson gave a brief but emotional speech, thanking the fans for their support during his illness. Suffice to say; glad you're still with us, CW!
Axl Rotten vs Ian Rotten — Taipei Death Match 2
God knows how long our very own Comrade "Bloody" Bob Kapur had been waiting for this one.
They were once known as the Bad Breed: Axl and Ian Rotten. But it was after the team split up that these two would achieve hardcore immortality by mutilating each other in some of the most infamous matches in ECW history. At November Reign, they would go at it again in the Taipei Death Match 2. The first Taipei Death Match took place over 10 years ago in July 1995 in the very same building.
One could not help but squirm even before the bell sounded for this one as Axl made his way to the ring, proudly displaying the shards of glass glued to his taped fists. Not even a minute passed at the start before they both started tearing each other open. Mind you, the ample amount of scar tissue on their bodies made this all the more easier. Both men exercised some real imagination when it came to using a fork and a staple gun on each other, earning some of the more vocal reactions from the audience at this event. While there was nothing athletic about this confrontation (minus the one drop kick), there is no disputing the vigor both participants displayed in living up to their well earned, violent reputations. A must see for hardcore fans everywhere!
Shane Douglas vs Pitbull Garry Wolfe — Dog Collar Match
Two more ECW icons stepping up the plate in another match entrenched with an abundance of history. Connoisseurs will remember back to the day in July of 1996 when Pitbull Garry Wolfe broke his neck while taking an arm bar take down from The Franchise, Shane Douglas. Depending on whom you ask, Wolfe either took the move wrong or was not protected properly by Douglas. The end result was another chapter of infamy in the history of ECW.
Fans were anxious for this one, with Douglas (accompanied by Francine) riling those in attendance with a profanity laced promo directed at the WWE head honcho, Vince McMahon. Connected by a 20-foot long chain, it was a certified brawl with both Douglas and Wolfe clobbering each other outside of the ring. The length of the match was definitely too short, baring in the mind the history Douglas-Wolfe have with each other. Still, both athletes made it a memorable outing.
PJ Polaco (aka Justin Credible) vs Jerry Lynn — Steel Cage Match
You can't help but get excited with anticipation when Justin Credible (now known by his real name, PJ Polaco) and Jerry Lynn are about to collide in the ring. Athletically gifted and passionate to their chosen vocation, it seemed only appropriate that these two, having never been given the chance to shine in other promotions, are granted the honor of being the main event at November Reign. An added selling point to this contest was the fact that this would be Lynn's first ever cage bout, thus making this a must see match for Jerry Lynn fans everywhere!
It was what you would expect; fast, innovative and bloody. No matter how many times these two have fought, they always seem to create that air of magic. They really went the extra mile when in comes to utilizing the cage in a variety of brutal offensive maneuvers. Throw in a special surprise at the end (which really made an Impact) and you have another classic Credible/Lynn confrontation.
Bonus Matches
Disc 2 offered an absolutely stellar selection of matches involving a wide range of former ECW stars. The first batch was from the Hardcore Homecoming event held in Pittsburgh, PA. This included:
Danny Doring & Roadkill vs Chris Chetti & CW Anderson
Some good tag team action from all four participants.
The Blue Meanie vs Tracy Smothers
It's always entertaining when these two are in the ring. Smothers steals the show with his mic work alone.
Ian Rotten vs Balls Mahoney vs New Jack
It was what you would expect from all three — bloody carnage!
Jerry Lynn vs PJ Polaco (aka Justin Credible)
Another stellar wrestling match delivered by both of these two great wrestlers.
The next contingent of matches comes from a variety sources, all featuring former ECW greats.
Sabu vs Al Snow
This match took place at a time when both competitors were really at their peak. Snow has never gotten the respect he deserves as an athlete, while Sabu was setting a new standard in death-defying wrestling moves. What makes this a must see contest comes at the end with the entry of none other than Terry Funk. What ensues is pure mayhem, the kind that built ECW into the cult following that it was. Funk fans will howl in delight at watching Funk hide under a van in the parking lot, then fleeing the scene down the sidewalk, shirtless, after another hard day at the office. Like I said – must see!
Chris Benoit vs Too Cold Scorpio
Two of the most gifted athletes of their generation lock up in another phenomenal showcase of wrestling excellence. These can do no wrong when they lock up in the ring.
Psicosis vs Juventud Guerrera vs Jerry Lynn
Great cruiserweight action, compliments of the now defunct XPW promotion. All three gelled really well in this one.
Shane Douglas vs Vic Grimes
This match was from the XPW heavyweight title at that time and both men really tore the house down in this confrontation, brawling their way all over the building. Great stuff!
Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Juventud Guerrera
Before they revolutionized cruiserweight wrestling in the rest of North America, these two all-time great luchadors were electrifying wrestling fans in Mexico. Some high drama takes place near the end, solidifying this one as a classic.
Fans unaware of the long and bloody history of ECW may wonder what the product would look like beyond the controlling grasp of the current WWE brain trust. I would advocate that Hardcore Homecoming: November Reign would be the perfect example of what ECW could and should be. Granted, the show was devoid of many of the original stars from the original Hardcore Homecoming show, most of who went on to sign contracts with WWE. The hand-held camera work on Disc 2 may turn some off, but was more than sufficient in capturing all of the in-ring action. Overall, this DVD set will be well worth you hard earned money, whether you're a long time supporter of ECW or a newbie looking for his first time, hardcore fix. Hardcore wrestling fans probably already have November Reign in their libraries (Right Comrade Bob?).
Comrades, the abundance of violence on this DVD set has left my body aching. Perhaps SLAM! Wrestling producer, Comrade Greg Oliver, would be so kind in making a financial contribution to the building of the PIWR Spa, which will include massages, pedicures and dermabrasion services.
Comrade Greg Oliver's response: никакой путь
Until next time comrades in arms … Desea vivo la revolución!


text:
Oracle® Data Provider for .NET Developer's Guide 11g Release 2 (18.104.22.168) Part Number E23174-02 |
PDF · Mobi · ePub |
ODP.NET provides an easy and optimal way to access and manipulate large object (LOB) data types.
SecureFiles can be used with existing ODP.NET LOB classes.This section includes the following topics:
Oracle Database supports large character and large binary data types.
- Character data can store up to 4 gigabytes.
- Unicode National character set data can store up to 4 gigabytes.
- Unstructured binary data can store up to 4 gigabytes.
- Binary data stored in external file can store up to 4 gigabytes.
ODP.NET provides three objects for manipulating LOB data: OracleBFile
, OracleBlob
, and OracleClob
Table 3-17 shows the proper ODP.NET object to use for a particular Oracle LOB type.
Table 3-17 ODP.NET LOB Objects
Oracle LOB Type | ODP.NET LOB Object |
The ODP.NET LOB objects can be obtained by calling the proper typed accessor on the OracleDataReader
object, or by calling the proper typed accessor as an output parameter on a command execution with the proper bind type.
All ODP.NET LOB objects inherit from the .NET Stream
class to provide generic Stream
operations. The LOB data (except for BFILE
types) can be updated using the ODP.NET LOB objects by using methods such as Write
. Data is not cached in the LOB objects when read and write operations are carried out. Therefore, each read or write request incurs a database round-trip. The OracleClob
object overloads the Read
method, providing two ways to read data from a CLOB
. The Read
method that takes a byte[]
as the buffer populates it with CLOB
data as Unicode byte array. The Read
method that takes a char[]
as the buffer populates it with Unicode characters.
Additional methods can also be found on the OracleBFile
object. An OracleBFile
object must be explicitly opened using the OpenFile
method before any data can be read from it. To close a previously opened BFILE
, use the CloseFile
Every ODP.NET LOB object is a connected object and requires a connection during its lifetime. If the connection associated with a LOB object is closed, then the LOB object is not usable and should be disposed of.
If an ODP.NET LOB object is obtained from an OracleDataReader
object through a typed accessor, then its Connection
property is set with a reference to the same OracleConnection
object used by the OracleDataReader
object. If a LOB object is obtained as an output parameter, then its Connection
property is set with a reference to the same OracleConnection
property used by the OracleCommand
object. If a LOB object is obtained by invoking an ODP.NET LOB object constructor to create a temporary LOB, the Connection
property is set with a reference to the OracleConnection
object provided in the constructor.
The ODP.NET LOB object Connection
property is read-only and cannot be changed during its lifetime. In addition, the ODP.NET LOB types object can be used only within the context of the same OracleConnection
referenced by the ODP.NET LOB object. For example, the ODP.NET LOB Connection
property must reference the same connection as the OracleCommand
object if the ODP.NET LOB object is a parameter of the OracleCommand
. If that is not the case, ODP.NET raises an exception when the command is executed.
See Also:
Oracle Database Application Developer's Guide - Large Objects for complete information about Oracle Database 10g LOBs and how to use themBFILE
and BLOB
data are stored in the DataSet
as byte
arrays while CLOB
and NCLOB
data are stored as string
s. In a similar manner to other types, an OracleDataAdapter
object can be used to fill and update LOB data changes along with the use of the OracleCommandBuilder
object for automatically generating SQL.
Note that an Oracle LOB column can store up to 4 GB of data. When the LOB data is fetched into the DataSet
, the actual amount of LOB data the DataSet
can hold for a LOB column is limited to the maximum size of a .NET string type, which is 2 GB. Therefore, when fetching LOB data that is greater than 2 GB, ODP.NET LOB objects must be used to avoid any data loss.
To update LOB columns, LOB data can be bound as a parameter for SQL statements, anonymous PL/SQL blocks, or stored procedures. The parameter value can be set as a NET Framework type, ODP.NET type, or as an ODP.NET LOB object type. For example, when inserting .NET string data into a LOB column in an Oracle9i database or later, that parameter can be bound as OracleDbType.Varchar2
. For a parameter whose value is set to an OracleClob
object, the parameter should be bound as OracleDbType.Clob
Oracle BFILE
s cannot be updated; therefore, OracleBFile
objects do not allow updates to BFILE
Two requirements must be met to update LOB data using ODP.NET LOB objects:
A transaction must be started before a LOB column is selected.
The transaction must be started using the BeginTransaction
method on the OracleConnection
object before the command execution, so that the lock can be released when the OracleTransaction
or Rollback
method is invoked.
The row in which the LOB column resides must be locked; as part of an entire result set, or on a row-by-row basis.
Locking the entire result set
Add the FOR
clause to the end of the SELECT
statement. After execution of the command, the entire result set is locked.
Locking the row - there are two options:
Invoke one of the OracleDataReader
typed accessors (GetOracleClobForUpdate
or GetOracleBlobForUpdate
) on the OracleDataReader
object to obtain an ODP.NET LOB object, while also locking the current row.
This approach requires a primary key, unique column(s), or a ROWID
in the result set because the OracleDataReader
object must uniquely identify the row to re-select it for locking.
Execute an INSERT
or an UPDATE
statement that returns a LOB in the RETURNING
Temporary LOBs can be instantiated for BLOB
, and NCLOB
objects. To instantiate an ODP.NET LOB object that represents a temporary LOB, the OracleClob
or the OracleBlob
constructor can be used.
Temporary ODP.NET LOB objects can be used for the following purposes:
To initialize and populate a LOB column with empty or non-empty LOB data.
To pass a LOB type as an input parameter to a SQL statement, an anonymous PL/SQL block, or a stored procedure.
To act as the source or the destination of data transfer between two LOB objects as in the CopyTo
Temporary LOBs are not transaction aware. Commit and rollback operations do not affect the data referenced by a temporary LOB.


text:
Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Bill would give state control over wind-turbine regulations
Credit: By Doug Finke | Gatehouse Media Illinois | March 15, 2014 | www.rrstar.com ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Since the first wind turbine was installed in Illinois, it's been the purview of county governments to set the rules for siting and installation of the turbines within their borders.
This year, though, lawmakers may be asked to consider a bill that would take that authority away from counties and have uniform, statewide standards administered by a state agency.
Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, has introduced what would create a statewide standard for wind energy facilities, as well as establish standards for removing wind turbines from property if that becomes necessary.
"To my knowledge, there is no involvement (now) from the state standpoint," Sullivan said. "There are a few federal standards, but they are very minor and 'big picture.' We have kind of a hodge-podge of county-to-county regulations and standards."
In Sullivan's view, some counties "have done a real good job of developing their standards."
"In other counties, in the view of some individuals at least, they have not maybe had the resources, the time and expertise to do that," he said.
Equal protection
The idea of a single set of statewide standards is being promoted by the Illinois Farm Bureau. Bill Bodine, associate director of state legislation for the bureau, said that in some cases, a single wind farm operation can stretch into more than one county and be subject to different regulations.
He also said that the different regulations can mean different levels of protection for landowners who have wind turbines on their property.
"We're seeking to establish statewide standards for siting, construction and deconstruction of wind farms," Bodine said. "It will provide constancy to that process so the same level of protections can be provided to landowners and farmers no matter what county they live in or their location."
He also said putting a state agency in charge of administering wind turbine regulations would mean "additional recourses and some additional expertise and experience in reviewing these projects and making decisions about siting."
Bodine acknowledged that the wind industry is opposed to the idea of a uniform standard.
"The statement they have made is they are opposed," he said.
Sullivan said it is not a matter that counties are being too lax in setting standards.
"There are some people who feel that the county ordinances that have been developed are not restrictive enough, and others would say they are too restrictive," Sullivan said. "I think the wind developers would prefer to work with the counties individually. I think they probably have a concern some of the statewide standards could be more restrictive."
He agreed it could also work the other way in some instances. A county with very tight restrictions could see some of them loosened under a statewide standard.
Losing control?
Sangamon County has had a wind turbine ordinance on the books for about seven years, said county coordinator Brian McFadden. Although there have been discussions about building a wind farm in the western part of the county, it has not materialized.
"The real meat and potatoes of these regulations is setbacks, how close a turbine can be to residential areas and municipalities," McFadden said. "I believe we are on the stronger side with regard to that regulation. We thought we came up with something that was pretty fair."
McFadden said the county board has not taken a position on Sullivan's bill, in part because a lot of details have yet to be worked out. However, he noted the board "generally errs on the side of local control. There's been a precedent set for local control."
The Department of Agriculture, which would have oversight of the wind turbine regulations, said it is reviewing the legislation and has not taken a position on it.
Bodine said it is difficult to say how much detail will be in the bill by the time lawmakers are asked to vote on it. The Farm Bureau continues to negotiate with representatives of the wind industry over details. Right now, for example, the bill doesn't mention a specific distance for setbacks. In some cases, he said, details will have to be resolved by rules set by state officials.
The standards also would address mitigating damage to land caused by construction of turbines and who will pay to remove turbines if that becomes necessary.
Since introducing the bill, Sullivan said he's heard from county officials who don't want to lose control over the wind turbine regulations. He said he's also heard from people opposed to wind turbines who feel his bill doesn't go far enough.
"I would say I have work to do before I'll be in a position to move forward," he said.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe "fair use" as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar "fair dealing" provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
Wind Watch relies entirely on User Funding |
(via Paypal) |
(via Stripe) |


text:
(visited by Rico Melchert, Bodil Eriksson and Filip Söderholm)
02-Feb-2008 -- So, we've had a good start on the confluence year of 2008 with a visit to N60E15 and now it's time for another one. Only a week after the last one Swedish Geocaching Group sets its target for N60E18.
This is our eight confluence visit, and as such we pretty much just headed for the goal.
We started from Karlskoga, and made a pit stop in Uppsala (about 32km NW of the Confluence), and there we set our GPS's (a Garmin GPSmap 60Csx and MyGuide 4400) to N60E18, and started to make our way towards the ultimate goal.
We made a quick stop on the way to search for a nearby geocache, besides that we just went straight for the goal.
About 1.5 km from the confluence, we parked the car and found some good trails inwards the forest, but after only a few hundred meters we face a small challenge.
About ten or so hunters were standing in our way. Dressed in green with orange caps and rifles over their shoulders.
Faces that said, "What are a gang of city kids doing in our forest". Anyway, Bodil and Filip decided that the best way to get past them was to explain the whole idea of Confluence mapping, and I (Rico) must say they seemed quiet interested.
They sent us of with a greeting that they had not seen any bear or wolf today so we should be safe.
The way leading the confluence was swampy at best so a good pair of Wellingtons is a good idea.
GPS reception at the spot was to be a bit tricky to get perfect, but after 15 minutes or so it stabilized and we got the shoot of the "zeroes".
Another batch of photos and we were ready to return to the car and plan for the next confluence visit, less then 24 hours later.
Enjoy the new pictures!
[For more information about Geocaching, go to www.geocaching.com]


text:
Formax Pressure Sealer Paper Folder Inserter
Formax is a leader in the development, building and distribution of high end pressure seal, bulk mailing, paper shredders, digital data destruction and print finishing machinery. Formax products and an unmatched level of customer service and support allow Formax to offer the ideal solution to streamlining basically all of your outgoing or incoming mail, shredding destruction of confidential company data and on site digital print finishing. Formax was founded in 1987 and is based out of Dover, NH. They have a manufacturing warehouse in Turlock, CA. The Formax line of products are represented through a national dealer network across North America and internationally around the world.


text: OK, is it just me? All of my messages seem to take days to get to the list because the moderator has to approve them? I'm pretty sure that I'm subscribed properly. On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 09:02:25AM -0400, Robert G. Brown wrote: > I do that the Titorheads will attack and I'll have to once again > unconvincingly deny that I am, in fact, John Titor. John Titor? WOW! I remember reading about ``him'' a couple of years ago when I was in highschool. I never thought I'd see a reference to ``him'' in a place like this! ;) On a "programming languages" note, my school may be a little better than most. The first-year CS cirriculum has moved entirely away from Java, and the main class is now taught in Scheme, with C as the steping-stone to 2nd-year imperative languages. There are also "CS for non-majors" classes in Python I believe. I can't comment on upper-year project type things though, because I'm only in my 2nd year. :)


text:
Hello Barbara and welcome. Please tell us a little about yourself and Pull?
Born and raised in Chicago. While I am not the main character in Pull, he and I are both products of divorce. I was the eldest of five children (meaning he does not know how lucky he was to have only two siblings). I graduated from Hyde Park High School in Chicago, earned college degrees in Biochemistry and Computer Science and worked first in the medical field and then in the IT department at AT&T.
I began writing seriously in 2007 just after I retired. I've taken courses at local junior colleges, as well as becoming a member of RWA and SCBWI and taking many on-line writing courses. I won't begin to count how many hundreds of thousands of words I've written since then. Pull is my first published novel, but not my first completed book.
P. S. I don't play basketball, I don't do construction, and I have no sons. I have an adult daughter, and teen boys are just the creatures I used to warn her about.
Pull is set in your home town of Chicago. Have you had the opportunity to do a event at Hyde Park ?
No, but I would love to, especially since many of my memories of Hyde Park helped create my fictional Farrington High School. When I first sold I tried to visit with the vice-principal, the school year was ending and there was no time time. When school started up again I sent them a letter about myself and my book but never heard anything back. I know I should persevere, so maybe I'll give them another try, especially now that other schools are issuing me invitations.
Hyde Park better hurry up and schedule an event, while you can still fit them in.
I must admit, I am prone to judge a book quickly, from the start David Albacore comes across as someone I want to know.
Did anyone you know in real life inspire the character of David?
David is loosely based on my nephew, Craig Houston Jr. Although neither a basketball player or into construction, he was a wonderful young man, always cheerful and helpful, even after his parents divorce. He too found school a chore, but had reached college when he died at twenty-one following an asthma attack.
After school David works at job he loves construction, to help support him and his sisters.
Where did this love of construction come from?
I assume you mean David, because I'm like that guy who can't drive a nail straight. Although I did share a pizza slice with a young construction worker one winter night when I first started writing Pull. But that's another story and besides I only used him for research. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
David went into construction first because he needed a job that paid more than minimum wage and found a family friend willing to hire a part-timer. Once in the trade, he found himself a natural. Some people learn from books, some from their hands. He's the latter. Add in co-workers who treated him like a man from the start, and a boss he learned to respect, and he was hooked. I think he likes the solitary nature of the work too. There is a crew, but mostly he gets to work alone, just him and his thoughts. And at the end of the shift, he has something tangible to show for his efforts.
"Tantly written gripping and realistic, the strength of this story comes from the
author's refusal to take shortcuts or make up a traditional happy ending, but to let a true story twist,turn, and play out to its realistic, unromanticized, satisfying conclusions." - Tanita S.Davis, Coretta Scott King Award winning author of Mare's War
David falls for Yolanda Dare. I was surprised that Yolanda turned out to be the girl ,David was interested because the "supposedly easy girl" is never the love interest. This was one of the many things I liked about Pull.
Why did you decide the love interest would be the girl with the reputation?
Yolanda didn't start out that way. According to her original character sketch she was supposed to be a typical little princess, a youngest daughter with an impressive set of older, overprotective brothers who didn't like this David person who wandered into her life. But for some reason, when I wrote the cafeteria scene, Barney and Yolanda became immediate enemies. I made the decision not to fight that, which meant changes in other areas.
Yolanda's boyfriend became the catalyst for their enmity, and he couldn't be a nice guy, because she was going to leave him for David. Which meant I needed a reason why she would stay with a creep. That led to self-esteem issues and secrets she needed to hide, so suddenly, by the magic of Goal-Motivation-Conflict she lost the loving family and developed reputation that kept her from having friends who might pry into her secrets.
Every school has these so-called bad girls. Every student knows who the bad girls are, and a lot of girls envy their apparent freedom and fun lifestyle. I used Yolanda to show readers, especially young female readers, that fun can be a facade and that everything isn't always what it seems.
There are many things standing in the way of David and Yolanda getting together. Including Yolanda's, cheating and abusive boyfriend Malik.
Do you think David had it in him to be a Malik, if things had worked out differently?
Oh yes, I fear the potential is there, especially with David's male role-model a wife abuser who modeled the behavior that men had to be in charge. I think at the beginning his fear that he could repeat his father's violence is justified. And let's face it, he's got looks, and talent, and he's a basketball star—he'd have girls all over him and no matter what he did. His need to protect his sisters and eventually Yolanda, were the catalysts to facilitate his change. As one of my critique partners told me, there is a fine line between Alpha Male and Obnoxious Male. To me,these two guys stand just barely on their side of the line.
David keeps a close eye on his sister Barney. Though Malik still finds a way to start sweet talking Barney. I really liked this storyline. In YA you already ever see the unsuspecting girl being worked on by an older guy. Yet,so many girls Barney's age end up in bad sexual relationships because they're vulnerable. That could've easily happened to Barney, after being exposed to her parents abusive relationship and uprooted to a new home.
If Malik is so bad, why do so many girls try so hard to get his attention?
Before I start a new work I have two quotes from my research into teenagers that I reread. One reminds me that teenage girls have a near universal fear that "a girl unremarked by boys ceases to exist." The other that "there are few forces more potent to the adolescent girl than the male gaze." I used that to develop Malik and his relationships with Yolanda, Barney and the other girls around him.
Malik has it all, looks, money, a car and he's captain of the basketball team. He's a silver-tongued devil as well. He spends time and energy perfecting his image. He also at least pretends to be exclusive, giving girls the feeling that they need to fight to get him. He's the ultimate bad boys and those guys have always been attractive, even adult women find themselves taken in by the allure of the independent maverick. Even when intellect tells us he's wrong, emotions overrule
Add in any kind of self-esteem issue which too many high school girls have, and he ends up being one of those sticky-glue traps that are easy to fall into and hard to get out of again.
I can't do this interview and not mention the first kiss, early on in the story. It takes place in the cafeteria but doesn't involve David. He and Barney are simply sitting at Neill and Carl's lunch table when they kiss.
I was reading Pull the week it seemed teen gay suicides were being reported daily because of bullying. Neill and Carl's kiss was unexpected and much appreciated. I had pretty much given up hope finding any gay or lesbian characters in any YA books by Black authors this year.
Was Neill and Carl's relationship a conscious decision?
Neil was a conscious decision. I wanted a gay youth that was neither a stereotype nor someone David had to rescue. Neill's job was to be strong, confident, intelligent and David's friend. Carl was added in to put Neill in a committed relationship, so there would be no "lusting after the new hunk" complications. The kiss was absolutely organic, the characters made the decision to act as I wrote the scene; I just went along with them.
At the end David had to make a difficult decision, either follow his mother's dream of college or his love of construction?
I agreed with David's choice, because it seemed liked the right one for him. What do you want readers to take away from David's decision?
I hope readers see that David agonized over the decision. One size does not fit all. David put a lot of thought into his choice and he made a plan. To me, the plan is the sign of his maturity, he acknowledged there were risks and sought assistance to make things work out. And that's why I'm sure he will succeed.
I hope that both young people and adult readers faced with difficult decisions will be able to
consider consequences before jumping into situations, and not just accept the easy or popular or authority sanctioned solution.
I see you bribed, I mean gave a TSA agent a copy of Pull.
So how many books did you have in your suitcase? Are there any you think we should know about?
I swear it wasn't a bribe, and she still undid my suitcase to prove it. She just loved the idea of "the contemporary novel that has a seventeen-year-old male African-American protagonist" and gushed over it so much I felt honored handing one over to her.
Besides my own books I had fourteen others inside the suitcase (please don't ask me how I did it, and it took the both of us to repack the bag.) In keeping with the YALSA theme, Diversity, Literature & Teens, I picked up a number of titles that I might never have seen otherwise, and all of them are proving unputdownable so it's hard to only name a few. . but here goes
• Ash by Malinda Lo – a GLBT retelling of the Cinderella story with a
far eastern twist where the Cinderella, a.k.a. Ash, falls for the King's
huntress. (By the way, I also got the prequel – Huntress A paranormal
with no vampires or werewolves but very interesting creatures from
Chinese mythology.)
• Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman – A story of a fourteen-year-old whom
the world thinks is severely retarded due to cerebral palsy and whose
father may, or may not, have decided to kill him. At the end of the book
I'm the one dying…I want to read the forthcoming sequel.
• Jazz in Love by Neesha Neminger – A culture clash story of a seventeen-
year-old American born, high-caste girl of Indian ancestry whose parents
launch a Guided Dating Plan to find her a suitable pre-screened mate.
• Muchacho by Louanne Johnson – where an extremely intelligent Latino
boy plays dumb for all the wrong reasons, until he meets the beautiful, and
highly intelligent, girl of his dreams and has to make decisions about his
David geeks construction. What do you geek?
I'm a big time huge science geek!! I received degrees in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin (yeah Badgers!) and Michigan State. After working in that field for about five years I went back to school and got yet another degree in Computer Science from DePaul University. I'm also an amateur astronomer with a lifetime membership at Chicago's Adler Planetarium and have a history of eclipse chasing.
Eclipse chasing sounds very cool. Barbara, hopefully your love of science will find its way into future stories. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer all these questions with such care. Congratulations on a wonderful YA debut
The first few chapters of Pull are available for download on the author's website
Be sure to check out the other WBBT interviews today
Josh Berk - Finding Wonderland
Adam Gidwitz - Fuse #8 Production
Salley Mavor - Seven Impossible Things
Daisy Whitney - Bildungsroman
The rounds up can always be found at Chasing Ray


text:
The ICO fever in 2017 proved to be a very high-risk environment for individuals wanting to participate in new blockchain project token releases, from accidentally sending funds to the wrong wallet, or some project teams absconding with funds.
For a user, an IEO is easy to participate in as they don't need to manage on-chain transactions with different wallets on different blockchains. Instead, a user only needs an account on the exchange and some funds in their account and can participate completely through the trusted website's interface. Additionally, the exchange is staking its reputation behind the projects on its platform, offering a higher degree of trust behind the project.
For a project looking to raise funds, an IEO offers the promise of an immediate userbase that can see their product, and depending on the size of the exchange's audience, could mean that the project can reduce their outside marketing funnels for fundraising, allowing them to focus only on the development of their product.
A digital currency that is secured by cryptography to work as a medium of exchange within a peer-to-peer (P...
A marketplace for cryptocurrencies where users can buy and sell coins.
A fundraising method in which new projects will sell their cryptocurrency to investors.


text:
Find fellowships, conferences, grants and awards deadlines, workshops and networking opportunities, crowd-sourced leads to job banks, reporting toolkits, hundreds of MOOCs and more. GO >>
Below are some of SEJ members' favorite reference books:
- The Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology. By Christopher Morris. Academic Press, 1992.
- The Almanac of American Politics 2002. By Michael Barone with Richard E. Cohen. National Journal Group, 2001.
The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine. AMA, 1989.
SEJ member comments: useful for basics. -
American Wildlife & Plants: A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits. By Alexander C. Martin, A. L. Nelson, and Herbert S. Zim. Dover Pubns, 1985.
SEJ member comments: First published about 50 years ago. This is among the most useful books I've ever picked up. - Audubon Field Guides: wildflowers, fungi, birds, mammals, fish, pinnipeds, regional, etc. Complete Audubon Book List.
Brownfields: A Comprehensive Guide to Redeveloping Contaminated Property. By Todd S. Davis. American Bar Association, 2002.
SEJ member comments: a once definitive book of state laws. - Chemicals, the Press and the Public: A Journalists' Guide to Reporting on Chemicals in the Community. Published by the National Safety Council's Environmental Health Center, 1989.
- Climate Change 2001. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
- The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Botany. Edited by Michael Allaby. Oxford University Press, 1992.
The Condensed Chemical Dictionary. By Gessner G. Hawley. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 10th edition, 1985. Later editions available.
SEJ member comments: for basic chemistry concepts. - The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed. By Karen Elizabeth Gordon. Pantheon Books, 1993.
- A Dictionary of Biology. Oxford University Press, 4th edition, 2000.
- The Dictionary of Ecology and Environmental Science. By Henry Warren Art (Editor), F. Herbert Bormann. Henry Holt & Company, Inc., 1993.
- A Dictionary of Environmental Quotations. Compiled by Barbara K. Rodes and Rice Odell. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. Approximately 3,700 quotations in 143 categories.
- The Dorling Kindersley World Reference Atlas. By Deni Bown. DK Publishing, 1999.
- The Dose Makes the Poison: A Plain-Language Guide to Toxicology. By M. Alice Ottoboni. John Wiley & Sons, 1997.
- Encyclopedia Britannica.
The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Edited by David W. MacDonald. Checkmark Books, 1995.
SEJ member comments: probably the animal book we use most. - The Encyclopedia of the Environment. By Ruth A. Eblen (Editor), William R. Eblen (Editor), Rene Dubos Center for Human Environments. Houghton Mifflin Co., 1994.
- Encyclopedia of World Environmental History. Edited by Shepard Krech III, J.R. McNeill, and Carolyn Merchant. Routledge, 2003.
- Environmental Law Handbook. By Thomas F.P. Sullivan, Editor Emeritus, with contributing authors. Government Institutes Press, 17th edition, May 2003.
- Environmental Regulatory Glossary. By Thomas F.P. Sullivan. ABS Consulting, 1993.
Environmental Toxicants: Human Exposures and Their Health Effects. Edited by Morton Lippmann. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1992.
SEJ member comments: great for detail on a few substances. - The Essential Researcher. By Maureen Croteau and Wayne Worcester. Harper Collins, 1993.
- The Facts on File Dictionary of Environmental Science. Edited by L. Harold Stevenson and Bruce C. Wyman. Third Edition, Facts on File, 2007.
- A copy of the state and federal FOIA! Full text of The Freedom of Information Act 5 U.S.C. § 552.
A Grain of Truth: The Media, the Public and Biotechnology. By Susanna Hornig Priest, associate professor of journalism at Texas A&M University. Rowman & Littlefield Publishing, 2000.
SEJ member comments: see Chapter 2, Reinventing Milk (clearly written scrutiny of rBGH story); Chapter 6, The Labeling Controversy and Public Perceptions of Risk; and Chapter 7, The Cloning Story. - Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. By Bernhard Grzimek, Neil Schlager (Editor), Donna Olendorf (Editor), Melissa C. McDade (Editor). Gale Group, 2nd edition, December 2003.
- The Handy Science Answer Book. Compiled by The Science and Technology Department of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Edited by James E. Bobick and Naomi E. Balaban. Centennial Edition, Visible Ink Press, 2003.
- The Hiking Trails of North Georgia. By Tim Homan. Peachtree Publishers, 1997.
- Instant Notes in Ecology. By A. Mackenzie. Springer Verlag, 1998.
- It Ain't Necessarily So: How Media Make and Unmake the Scientific Picture of Reality. By David Murray, Joel Schwartz, S. Robert Lichter. Rowman & Littlefield Publishing, 2001.
- Maps with the News: The Development of American Journalistic Cartography. By Syracuse Univ. Newhouse School Prof. Mark Monmonier. University of Chicago Press, 1989.
The Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, & Biologicals. Edited by Maryadele J. O'Neil, Ann Smith, Patricia E. Heckelman, John R. Obenchain, Jo Ann R. Gallipeau, and Mary Ann D'Arecca. Merck & Co., 2001.
SEJ member comments: the real lowdown on particular chemicals, versus the concepts. -
A Moment on the Earth: The Coming Age of Environmental Optimism. By Gregg Easterbrook. Penguin USA, 1996.
SEJ member comments: I use this book a lot as a primer on any given issue. - National Academy of Sciences (NAS) reports, including "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children", "Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury" and "Understanding Risk." National Academies Press.
- National Geographic Atlas of the World. National Geographic, 7th edition, 1999.
- National Safety Council's Environmental Health Center has some very good guidebooks on how to cover chemicals, coastal issues and more. Several are available in downloadable PDF format.
- The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference. By Patricia Barnes-Svarney, Frommer. Hungry Minds, Inc., 1995.
- News & Numbers: A Guide to Reporting Statistical Claims and Controversies in Health and Related Fields. By the late Victor Cohn, former science/environmental reporter for The New York Times and then The Washington Post. Iowa State University Press, 2001.
- Our Living Oceans; Report on the Status of U.S. Living Marine Resources, 1999. NOAA.
- Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Company.
- Report on Carcinogens, Tenth Edition. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program, December 2002.
- The Reporter's Environmental Handbook. By Bernadette M. West, M. Jane Lewis, Michael R. Greenberg, David B. Sachsman, Renee Rogers. Rutgers University Press; 3rd edition, August 2003.
Reporting on Risk: A Journalist's Handbook on Environmental Risk Assessment. By M.A. Kamrin, D.J. Katz and M.L. Walter. National Sea Grant College Program and Foundation for American Communications, 1995.
SEJ member comments: does a good job of explaining statistics and epidemiology for English majors. - Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations from the Library of Congress. Edited by Suzy Platt. Congressional Quarterly, 1992.
- RISK: A Practical Guide for Deciding What's Really Safe and What's Really Dangerous in the World Around You. By David Ropeik and George Gray. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.
- Science Communication; An Interdisciplinary Social Science Journal. Edited by Carol L. Rogers, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland. SAGE Publications.
- The State of the Nation's Ecosystems. By H. John Heinz III Center of Science, Economics, and the Environment, Cambridge University Press, 2002. Also available here for downloading or no-charge print format.
- State of the World. Annual publication from Worldwatch Institute. State of the World 2004; Special Focus: The Consumer Society.
- Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological Resources. By M.J. Mac, P.A. Opler, C.E. Puckett Haeker, and P.D. Doran. 2 vols. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Va, 1998. Online report summary.
Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. Edited by Donald Venes, Clayton L. Thomas, Clarence Wilbur Taber. F A Davis Co., 19th edition, 2001.
SEJ member comments: broad in scope; very helpful for figuring out what the heck those researchers, gov't types, and doctors are saying. - Tainted Truth: The Manipulation of Fact in America. By Cynthia Crossen of The Wall Street Journal. Hardcover: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Paperback: Touchstone Books, 1996.
- Toxics A to Z: A Guide to Everyday Pollution Hazards. By John Harte, et al. University of California Press, 1991.
Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia. By Glenn D. Considine (Editor), Peter H. Kulik (Editor), Douglas Considine. Wiley-Interscience, 2002.
SEJ member comments:The OED of science terms. - Vital Signs. Annual publication from Worldwatch Institute. Vital Signs 2003.
- Wetlands. By William J. Mitsch and James G. Gosselink. John Wiley & Sons, 3rd edition, 2000.
- The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004. Edited and published annually by World Almanac.
The World's Water: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources. By Peter H. Gleick. Latest edition 2002-2003. Island Press, 2002.
SEJ member comments: for anyone who wants global water stats in atlas-type form. - The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook. By Joshua Piven, David Borgenicht. Chronicle Books, 1999.
SEJ members: Do you have suggestions for new books or feedback on this page? Please send to email@example.com.
Library Types:


text:
Long Island Demolition
Professional Demolition contractor
Long Island Demolition is the premier demolition company for home services such as house demolition, house clean outs, junk removal & more. Give our demolition contractors a call for immediate service or an estimate today!
East Meadow is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York. The population was 38,132 at the 2010 census. Many residents commute to Manhattan, which is 30 miles (48 km) away. == History == In 1655, two surveyors for Hempstead reported that the "east meadow" would be suitable for grazing. The area quickly became a grazing area for cattle and later, in the 18th century, for sheep.
Al-Noor Medical P.C., Amia's delicatessen, Bagel Santa fe, Beach Bum Tanning & Airbrush Salon, Blimpie, Cancun II Mexican Grill, Cherry Reserve, Christ Alive Church, Coldwell Banker American Homes, Dogwood picnic area, East Meadow Chamber of Commerce, East Meadow Plaza, East Meadow Public Library, East Meadow Shopping Center, Eisenhower Park


text:
The Loop
USC women keep top spot in coaches' poll
The name of the school atop the latest Golf World/WGCA women's Division I coaches' poll should come as no surprise, USC claiming all 21 first-place votes after starting the 2013-14 season with an impressive comeback victory at the Dale McNamara Fall Preview.
However, take a look at the rest of the top 25 and you'll see a few new names and a few names occupying a few spots for the first time in school history.
Defending NCAA champion Lynn maintained its No. 1 ranking in the latest Golf World/WGCA Division II coaches' poll, earning 17 of the 25 available first-place votes. The Fighting Knights finished second in their season opener, the Lady Falcon Invitational.
Nova Southeastern, with four first-place votes, claimed the No. 2 spot while Barry rose to No. 3, receiving two first-place votes of its own.
Mary Hardin-Baylor hung on to the No. 1 ranking in the latest Golf World/WGCA Division III coaches' poll earning 12 of the 18 available first-place votes. It's the first time any school other than Methodist has been No. 1 in consecutive polls since Golf World and the WGCA teams up to publish the women's poll.


text:
SL Power Electronics announces the latest offering in its power dense product line, the CINT3110 AC/DC power solution. As with SL Power's other high-density open frame AC/DC Industrial/ITE power supplies, the CINT3110 is approved to the highest safety standards, including EN/IEC/UL60950-1, 2nd edition. Ideal for test & measurement, diagnostic, process control and other Industrial applications, the CINT3110 series triple output power supplies provide a highly reliable and energy efficient power solution in a small form factor at an affordable cost.
The CINT3110 series operates from -10°C to +70°C over a 90 to 264Vac input range. Fully compliant to EN61000 requirements for Static Discharge, Conducted and Radiated RF, EFT/Burst, Line Surge, Magnetic Field, Line Flicker, and Voltage Dip Immunity, the CINT3110 series guarantees operation in industrial applications where power sources are unstable.
Measuring only 2" X 4" and less than 1U (1.3") high, the CINT3110 is ideal for 1U high rack-mount enclosures and other size-constrained equipment. Featuring an open frame design, the power supply provides 110W of output power with up to 90 percent efficiency at 240VAC. The triple output power capabilities eliminate cross talk and provide tightly regulated DC power in a variety of configurations that save user's costs by eliminating the need for additional DC/DC converters.
The CINT3110 models provide three outputs, featuring a 5V main output and various combinations of auxiliary outputs (±12V, ±15V, ±24V). The main +5V output can deliver 10A continuously with standard convection cooling, and up to14A with forced air cooling. The 24V outputs can supply 3A and 4A respectively. All three outputs are tightly regulated; the 5V output is maintained to within ±2 percent for all normal line and load conditions, and has a maximum ripple of 50 mV peak-to-peak.
Available in three models, the CINT3110 power supply has a wide temperature range - delivering full rated output power while operating within an ambient temperature range of -10°C to +70°C with standard interface signals.
The CINT3110 models are certified to the stringent EMC requirements for applications requiring Class B EMI and Class A, B, C & D of IEC61000-3-2 for Line Harmonic Emissions. In addition, the models have been HALT tested for durability and have more than 400,000 hours of demonstrated Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF). In addition, the CINT3110 has cUL, CE, CB, and DEMKO approval markings and features a 3-year warranty.
Available now through SL Power's extensive distribution sales channels, OEM pricing starts at $80 each for 500 piece orders.


text:
The main scope of the Research Centre for Language, Teaching, Testing and Assessment (RCeL) is to carry out research in language teaching, testing and assessment, to develop teaching and testing materials, to produce relevant publications and το develop data bases which facilitate linguistic research. It supports research and education projects of the Greek Ministry of Education and of educational and research institutions in Greece and abroad. With highly qualified staff, since 2004 the Centre has been developing into a reputable organization.
The RCeL Director The RCeL Deputy Director
Professor B. Dendrinos Dr Ε. Karava


text:
Student Leadership and Involvement
Student Government Association
Cultivate your leadership skills through legislative, educational, and cultural activities. Become an active participant in the life of the College and the city of Philadelphia.
Clubs and Organizations
Get involved in life at the College through one of our many student run clubs and organizations.
Student Programming Board
Our student run board creates programs in four main areas: Arts and Entertainment, Traditions and Spirit, Health and Wellness, and Cultural and Heritage
Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society
A society for two-year colleges that fosters self-development and encourages member involvement in leadership, Honors studies and community-based activities.
Learn more about Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society
The Vanguard
Our student newspaper will give you the opportunity to report on events and programs, conduct interviews, and write and edit stories.
More Programs:
Philadelphia L.E.A.D.S.
Whether you're a first-time college student, a student who has just completed your first college-level coursework or a seasoned student with leadership experience, L.E.A.D.S. has something for you. Our unique three-tiered leadership program is designed to instill leadership qualities in every student with a desire to lead.
Pass on the benefits of education by helping third grade children in Philadelphia learn how to read. In addition to helping others, you will gain valuable communication and organization skills.
Leadership Expo
Annual events such as the Leadership Expo will help you learn how to get better grades, develop your teambuilding and leadership skills, qualify for more scholarships, submit a strong transfer application, create a better résumé and more.
Student Ambassador Program
Advance your communication skills and professional development through the Student Ambassador Program. Help departments around the College and participate in community service projects as part of a vital group.


text:
Detect SVG image data on a readable/seekable SDL_RWops.
int IMG_isSVG(SDL_RWops *src);
src | a seekable/readable SDL_RWops to provide image data. |
Returns non-zero if this is SVG data, zero otherwise.
This function attempts to determine if a file is a given filetype, reading the least amount possible from the SDL_RWops (usually a few bytes).
There is no distinction made between "not the filetype in question" and basic i/o errors.
This function will always attempt to seek the RWops back to where it started when this function was called, but it will not report any errors in doing so, but assuming seeking works, this means you can immediately use this with a different IMG_isTYPE function, or load the image without further seeking.
You do not need to call this function to load data; SDL_image can work to determine file type in many cases in its standard load functions.
This function is available since SDL_image 3.0.0.


text:
This morning I was saddened to learn that long-time Friend of UCMP, Nestor John Sander (AKA Sandy) passed away. He was nearly 98. Sandy graduated from Cal with a B.A. in paleontology in 1936 and completed his Masters in 1938. He then joined Standard Oil Company of California and was sent to Saudi Arabia the same year. There he was assigned to map the subsurface contours of a major anticlinal fold that is now the largest oil field in the world, Ghawar. This more than qualified him for an interview as part of an ABC television special: Crude- the incredible journey of oil.
Sandy was a great story teller and while most World War II history buffs encouraged conversations about his dealings with King Saud, Sandy just wanted to talk paleo. His last visit to UCMP was some time ago as travelling became increasingly difficult for him, but his computer kept him connected, and his research never ended. On his YouTube channel you will find a series of lectures – self-published in his home in Modesto – and covering topics of stratigraphy, foraminifera and other microfossils. He had recently been in contact with Dave Lindberg, as he wanted to complete a series on molluscs. He was also a published author in a more traditional sense, completing a book about the first King of Saudi Arabia whom he met in 1939 – Ibn Saud: King by Conquest.
A visit to his home always began with a glass of champagne, strawberries, and petit fours – a combo he often shared with his wife of many of years and of whom he spoke with much tenderness. On our last visit, he entrusted me with a beautifully bound biography that he had written along with a photo album reflecting his life and his work. These I delivered to the Bancroft Library in the hopes that they will be of interest to others. He lived at a time of great world changes and he lived life to the fullest. You can find out more about who Sandy really was by reading his mini-autobiography on the web – entitled Peregrinations of a Positivist. I will really miss him.


text:
Gibson's Racist Rant Triggers Immigration Complaint
TMZ has learned Mel Gibson got ratted out to the government after an immigration group heard him use a derogatory term for illegal aliens -- and the complaint could spark an investigation into who's working for Mel.
The San Diego Minutemen tell TMZ they dropped a dime on Mel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because they heard him refer to one of his domestic workers as a "wetback" during the secretly-recorded rant at Oksana Grigorieva.
The Minutemen are volunteers whose mission is "to demand maximum border security and immigration enforcement" -- and we're told Gibson's use of the epithet led the group to wonder if he is employing illegal immigrants. So they called the ICE hotline last week to report Gibson.
The Minutemen tell TMZ they were told an investigation would be opened.
A rep from the Los Angeles ICE office could not be reached for comment. Same for Mel's rep.


text:
Famous trees come and go. L'Arbre du Ténéré was once considered the most isolated tree on Earth, a landmark on caravan routes in the Sahara, until it was knocked down by a drunk Libyan truck driver in 1973. This year in August, the famous Anne Frank tree in Amsterdam was blown down by high winds during a storm. Luckily, there are still many special trees out there. An overview of the most famous trees in the world.
10. Arbol del Tule
Árbol del Tule, a Montezuma Cypress, is located in the town center of Santa María del Tule in the Mexican state of Oaxaca . It has the stoutest trunk of any tree in the world although the trunk is heavily buttressed, giving a higher diameter reading than q true cross-sectional of the trunk. It is so large that it was originally thought to be multiple trees, but DNA tests have proven that it is only one tree. The tree is estimated to be between 1,200 and 3,000 years old.
9. Cotton Tree
The Cotton Tree is an historic symbol of Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone. According to legend, the Cotton Tree became an important symbol in 1792 when a group of former African American slaves, who had gained their freedom by fighting for the British during the American War of Independence, settled the site of modern Freetown. They landed on the shoreline and walked up to a giant tree just above the bay and held a thanksgiving service there to thank God for their deliverance to a free land.
8. Boab Prison Tree
The Boab Prison Tree is a large hollow tree just south of Derby in Western Australia. It is reputed to have been used in the 1890s as a lockup for Indigenous Australian prisoners on their way to Derby for sentencing. In recent years a fence was erected around the tree to protect it from vandalism.
7. Major Oak
The Major Oak is a huge oak tree in the heart of Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, England. According to local folklore, it was Robin Hood's shelter where he and his band of outlaws slept. The famous tree is about 800 to a 1000 years old. In 1790, Major Hayman Rooke, a noted antiquarian, included the tree in his popular book about the ancient oaks of Sherwood. It thus became known as The Major's Oak.
6. Lone Cypress
The Lone Cypress Tree near Monterey is probably the most famous point along the 17-Mile Drive, a scenic road through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach. The road winds through miles of breathtaking coastal views of the Pacific, with turnouts along the way at the most historical and picturesque sites. The Monterey Cypress is a species of cypress that is endemic to the Central Coast of California. In the wild, the species is confined to two small populations, near Monterey and Carmel.
5. Tree of Life
The Tree of Life in Bahrain is a mesquite tree which grows in the middle of desert. The tree is said to be 400 to 500 years old. Its long roots probably have found some underground water source, but it is still a miracle as it is the only green living organism living in a vast and barren desert. The local inhabitants believe that this was the actual location of the Garden of Eden.
4. Socotra Dragon Trees
The Dragon blood tree is arguably the most famous and distinctive plant of the island of Socotra. It has a unique and strange appearance, having the shape of an upside-down umbrella. This evergreen species is named after its dark red resin, that is known as "dragon's blood". The bizarre shape enables the tree to have optimal survival in arid conditions. The huge packed crown provides sufficient shade in order to reduce evaporation.
3. General Sherman
General Sherman is a Giant Sequoia located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in California. The famous trees of the Giant Forest are among the largest trees in the world. In fact, if measured by volume, five of the ten largest trees on the planet are located within this forest. At 11.1 meter (36.5 ft) along the base he General Sherman tree is the largest of them all. The tree is believed to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old.
2. Cedars of God
The Cedars of God is a small forest of about 400 Lebanon Cedar trees in the mountains of northern Lebanon. They are among the last survivors of the extensive forests of the Cedars of Lebanon that thrived in this region in ancient times. The Cedars of Lebanon are mentioned in the Bible over 70 times. The ancient Egyptians used its resin in mummification and King Solomon used the famous trees in the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.
1. Avenue of the Baobabs
The Avenue of the Baobabs is a group of famous trees lining the dirt road between Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina in western Madagascar. Its striking landscape draws travelers from around the world, making it one of the most visited tourist attractions in Madagascar. The Baobab trees, up to 800 years old, did not originally tower in isolation over the sere landscape of scrub but stood in dense tropical forest. Over the years, as the country's population grew, the forests were cleared for agriculture, leaving only the famous baobab trees.


text:
Online resources to accompany the McCrea & Morgan text
Written for researchers and graduate students in statistics, ecology, demography, and the social sciences, this book covers the many modern developments of capture-recapture and related methods. Capture-recapture methods are used to estimate the mortality and size of wild animal populations, and also have application in areas such as epidemiology and sociology. The book covers model formulation and applications, including the technicalities of model diagnostics and checking. The authors provide a wide range of real examples to demonstrate the complexities that arise when describing extensive modern data. The book contains 130 exercises designed to complement and extend the text and help readers to assimilate the material.
Rachel S. McCrea is a NERC research fellow and Lecturer in Statistics at the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Kent.
Byron J.T. Morgan is an Emeritus professor and honorary professorial research fellow at the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Kent. He is co-Director of the National Centre for Statistical Ecology.
To get your copy of the book through to Amazon click through...


text:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Jeremy Guthrie pitched effectively into the eighth inning and Alex Gordon homered to lead the Kansas City Royals over the Detroit Tigers 2-1 Thursday night for a three-game sweep.
Prince Fielder had three hits for the slumping Tigers, who remained three games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. The teams begin an important three-game series Friday night in Detroit.
Royals rookie Kelvin Herrera worked around a walk and a single in the ninth to earn his first career save, coaxing slugger Miguel Cabrera to ground into a game-ending double play.
Guthrie (3-3), who did not give up a hit to the White Sox until the eighth inning on Aug. 19 in his previous Kauffman Stadium start, held Detroit to one run on 10 hits — nine of them singles. He walked none and struck out three.
Guthrie has made eight starts for the Royals since they acquired him in a July 20 trade with Colorado for left-hander Jonathan Sanchez. He is 6-12 overall.
Gordon hit his 10th homer leading off the sixth and extended his hitting streak to eight games.
The Royals loaded the bases with none out in the fifth, but converted that into just one run. Mike Moustakas doubled to start the inning and Jeff Francoeur singled on the 10th pitch to snap an 0-for-19 streak. After Eric Hosmer walked to load the bases, Johnny Giavotella's groundout to shortstop Jhonny Peralta scored Moustakas.
Rick Porcello (9-10) lost his fourth straight start, giving up two runs and eight hits in five-plus innings. He struck out four and walked two.
The Tigers snapped a 17-inning scoreless drought with a run in the eighth when one-out singles by Fielder and Delmon Young chased Guthrie. After reliever Tim Collins struck out pinch-hitter Jeff Baker on three pitches, Peralta delivered a run-scoring single.
NOTES: CF Jarrod Dyson was held out of the Royals' lineup with a sore right shoulder. ... Tigers first base coach Tom Brookens missed his second straight game for personal reasons, but is expected to rejoin the club Friday in Detroit. ... Tigers RHP Doug Fister, who missed his previous start with a groin injury, will return Friday and start against the White Sox. Rookie LHP Drew Smyly, who has made 16 starts, moves to the bullpen with Fister back in the rotation. RHP Jake Peavy will start for Chicago. ... Rookie LHP Will Smith will start for the Royals in the series opener Friday against Minnesota. The Twins will counter with RHP Cole De Vries.


text:
This is the 5th in the 2013 Pitching staff review series, here's a review of Hagerstown/Low-A's pitching staff for 2013. Other parts of the 2013 series:
- Washington/MLB's 2013 review
- Syracuse/AAA's 2013 review
- Harrisburg/AA's 2013 review
- Potomac/High-A's 2013 review
For some historical perspective, here's 2012's version (Aaron Barrett was the feature pitcher) and 2011's version (Taylor Jordan the feature pitcher) of this post specifically for Hagerstown/Low-A.
All stats are courtesy of either milb.com's Hagerstown 2013 Stats page or via Fangraph's Hagerstown 2013 page. Also useful here are the Big Board and the Nats Draft Tracker since so many of these lower-minors guys are recent draftees.
Hagerstown starters. The rotation started the season with Anderson, Mooneyham, Pineyro, Pena and Encarnacion. It ended with Turnbull, Encarnacion, Bacus, Voth, and Johansen (with Dickson in the rotation most of the last half of the season as well). There were quite a few changes along the way; I counted 8 pitcher promotions throughout the year, including 6 starters. Lets take a look at the High-A starters for 2013, starting with the original five and then counting down by the number of starts.
- Dixon Anderson got the ball opening day and threw 15 decent starts for the Suns, even making the all-star team. He started to struggle in June, hit the D/L at the end of that month and never re-appeared. As you might imagine, its hard to find out injury news for guys in the low minors, so the extent of his injury is unknown to me at this time. Which makes it kind of hard to predict where he'll be next year. He had good component ratios and was a college draftee from a good baseball school, so you'd think he's ready to move up. Outlook for next season: High-A rotation if he's healthy.
- Brett Mooneyham absolutely dominated low-A ball, posting a 1.94 ERA and going 10-3 in 93 innings before mercifully being pushed to Potomac. And this comes as no surprise; a 3rd round pick from a Pac-12 baseball power should dominate a bunch of kids 2 years his junior. I'm not sure what was left to prove in Hagerstown, especially when it became clear he was overpowering the league. To be fair, he did have a 6 week D/L stint that factored in; but once he came back and dominated towards the end of June he should have been pushed up. Outlook for next season: High-A rotation.
- Ivan Pineyro threw 13 good starts for Hagerstown, was promoted, then got 3 starts in High-A before he was flipped for Scott Hairston. Outlook for next season: in the Chicago Cubs organization.
- Ronald Pena started in the rotation for Hagerstown, then was pushed to the bullpen to become the long-man by June. He ended the season with decent enough numbers: 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 28 appearances (10 starts). His component ratios weren't that great: 55/34 K/BB in 88 innings, but he did give the Suns a great playoff stint in long relief. Where does a guy like this go from here? Outlook for next season: high-A bullpen in a similar long-relief/spot starter role.
- Pedro Encarnacion was the staff leader for Hagerstown this year, leading the team in starts, wins (technically tied with Mooneyham), innings pitched and K's. The DSL graduate posted a 10-9 W/L record with 113/37 K/BB in 128 innings. He had a 1.19 whip on the year, and his FIP (3.50) flattered his ERA (3.58). Encarnacion right now represents the most accomplished DSL graduate in the entire system (when speaking of pitchers anyway), perhaps the best DSL pitching prospect we've had the entire time the team has been in Washington (who is more accomplished? Atahualpa Severino?), and I see no reason for him not to keep climbing the ranks next year. Outlook for next season: High-A rotation.
- Nick Lee joined up with Hagerstown in mid May and gave the team 17 decent starts before hitting the D/L to make way for new acquisition Dakota Bacus in August (more on him later). He had impressive K rates (102 strikeouts in 91 innings) and a FIP (3.54) that flattered his ERA (3.95). He had a number of sparkling outings interspersed with a couple of failures, but for the most part was consistent this year. Outlook for next season: High-A rotation competition, possibly dropping back to Low-A if the numbers game doesn't work out (he's young; he's still 22).
- Kylin Turnbull lasted just three high-A starts, giving up 10 runs in 17 innings and was demoted to low-A. Repeating Hagerstown, he was again poor, putting in just 5 mediocre-to-bad starts before being sent to XST, where he toiled for a few weeks before joining up with Auburn to start the short-season. He pitched to a 1.96 ERA in four short-A starts and earned a promotion back to Hagerstown, where he finally settled down and finished out the year. Unfortunately he laid an egg in the playoffs, but a lot of our guys did. On the whole in Hagerstown for the year, he performed ably; a 3.58 ERA in 16 starts. Outlook for next season: Attempting High-A's rotation again, but i'm wondering if he's cut out to start. Despite his draft pedigree (4th rounder in 2011) he may be eventually bound for the bullpen as a lefty specialist.
- Ian Dickson was acquired in early June from the Cubs when the Nats finally DFA'd Henry Rodriguez. I define this transaction as "getting something for nothing." Dickson joined the Suns bullpen, showed his big arm, then was mostly a starter for the rest of the season. All in all for the Suns he had 16 appearances (10 starts) and posted a 4.39 ERA with more than a K/inning. Meanwhile his K/BB ratio was fantastic for such a strikeout guy (71/17 in 65 2/3 innings for the Suns this year). Is he a starter? Outlook for next season: High-A swingman/spot-starter.
- Matt Purke over-matched low-A in 6 starts (posting 41 K's in 29 innings) and was pushed to Potomac in early July. See the high-A writeup for more. Outlook for next season: High-A rotation.
- Others who got just 1-2 starts for Hagerstown:
- Austin Voth is an exciting 2013 draftee who blew through both short season teams to end up in the low-A rotation and get the opening playoff start. See the short-A writeup for more.
- Jake Johansen is, as we all know, the Nats top draft pick from 2013. He (like Voth) pushed his way to low-A this season. See the short-A writeup for more.
- Dakota Bacus came to the team in late August in trade for Kurt Suzuki; he spent most of the year in Oakland's low-A team and performed ably. He posted a 3.65 ERA in 121 innings but showed a bit of a wild streak. Outlook for next season: High-A rotation competition.
- Blake Schwartz blitzed through 4 starts in low-A and was quickly promoted to Potomac. See the high-A write-up for more. Outlook for next season: AA rotation.
- Brian Dupra earned two promotions on the season to end up in Potomac's bullpen. See the high-A write-up for more. Outlook for next season: High-A bullpen competition, possible release.
- Reynaldo Lopez gave Hagerstown a spot start, getting called up from Auburn. See Short-A write-up for more.
- Ryan Mattheus got a rehab "start." See MLB write-up for more.
Hagerstown relievers. We'll start with the closers and work backwards by IP from there. I will say this; when considering the future of middle relievers in low-A ball, everything is a crap shoot. Most of these guys are already "org guys" before they've even really started their careers and its really difficult to project where they may go. Unfortunately, lots of these guys may end up being post spring-training releases to make way for the newer crop of draftees.
- Robert Benincasa led the Suns in saves despite being promoted mid-season. See the high-A write-up for more. Outlook for next season: AA/High-A bullpen.
- Gilberto Mendez dominated low-A this season, arriving in June, posting a 0.91 ERA and striking out 33 in 29 2/3 innings while earning 7 saves. No reason to think the 2011 DR signing isn't moving on up. I like this guy; so far he's pitched pretty well at every level he's hit. Outlook for next season: High-A bullpen, possibly the closer if Benincasa is in AA.
- Derek Self couldn't make the leap to High-A, and spent most of the season in Hagerstown. He posted decent numbers in low-A: a 3.41 ERA in 31 2/3 innings pitching mostly towards the back of the bullpen. Outlook for next season: trying the high-A bullpen again, possibly falling back to the low-A bullpen.
- Travis Henke toiled most of the season in Hagerstown and got a late-season promotion. In Low-A he posted a 2.72 ERA in nearly 60 innings of mostly longer relief. He's yet another decent find out of a small college (Arkansas – Little Rock) for the Nats scouting department. Outlook for next season: high-A bullpen.
- Bryan Harper earned his keep in low-A this year, posting a 3.97 ERA in 45 innings. He's got to work on his control though; 32 walks in those 45 innings completely counter balance his nice K/9 ratio. Outlook for next season: high-A bullpen competition as the matchup-lefty.
- Cody Davis continued to pitch extremely well for an undrafted free agent signing, succeeding in his third straight season and third straight promotion. For Hagerstown in 2013; a 2.76 ERA in 42 innings, more than a K/inning, nearly a 4/1 K/BB ratio and an even better FIP (2.33) than his ERA. He's clearly earned a shot at the next level. Outlook for next season: High-A bullpen.
- Brian Rauh started the year in Hagerstown's bullpen as an 8th inning guy, didn't really pitch that well but was pushed up to Potomac anyway. See the high-A write-up for more. Outlook for next season: High-A bullpen, perhaps a starter. Perhaps a release candidate.
- Christian Meza lasted about 5 weeks in Potomac, putting up a 6.62 ERA and greater than a 2.00 whip before getting demoted back to Hagerstown. For Hagerstown he was better but still not great; a 4.00 ERA over 31 innings. To be fair, his K rate was excellent and his FIP in such a short sample size was decent, but giving up 2 base runners an inning as a reliever is a no-no. He's entering his 5th pro season and has thus far been unable to succeed above low-A ball; he may face a do-or-die spring training in 2014. He is a lefty though, and the lower parts of the system seem to lack lefty matchup guys, so this could be a saving grace. Outlook for next season: trying the high-A bullpen again, possible release candidate.
- David Fischer started the year in Hagerstown but was quickly bumped up to Potomac, where he served as a long-man out of the pen. See the high-A write-up for more. Outlook for next season: High-A bullpen.
- Will Hudgins started the year in Hagerstown's bullpen, was demoted to Auburn, and abruptly retired in July. Odd in my opinion; his stats didn't look that bad. Outlook for next season: out of baseball.
- Other relievers who didn't get enough innings to really pass much judgement:
- Justin Thomas bounced around the system in his first pro year, pitching at 4 different levels. He only threw a grand total of 22 innings on the year so its hard to pass too much judgement. He was a college senior draftee so you'd have to think he's better suited for full-season ball in 2014. Outlook for next season: High-A bullpen competition.
- Chris McKenzie threw 12 innings of 5.25 ERA ball and was released, ending a 4 year tenure in the organization.
- Jason Smith got lit up in 7+ innings and was released.
- Corey Bafidis stopped in to Hagerstown for two appearances before heading to Auburn. See the short-A write-up.
- Leonard Hollins had one appearance in low-A, got sent back to XST and spent the season in Auburn. See the short-A write-up.
- Jake Walsh had 1 IP during a brief callup in August, then joined the Suns for the playoffs. See the GCL write-up for more.
The Suns were the first half champs on the backs of good (if over-aged) starting pitching. It is what it is; the Nationals are drafting older players, focusing on college guys, and its just natural that our low-A team is going to trend older. Based on what I see here, there's going to be quite a competition for the High-A spots in 2014. There's going to be more guys than spots, both in the rotation and in the bullpen.
A lot of the names who featured for the Suns in the playoffs may very well be back to start 2014, giving the team an excellent chance of repeating as first half champs in 2014.


text:
Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Sunday the schedule of sites, dates and times for the wild-card playoff games and divisional playoff games:
Wild-card weekend
Saturday, Jan. 8
NFC: New Orleans at Seattle (NBC), 4:30 p.m. ET
AFC: N.Y. Jets at Indianapolis (NBC), 8 p.m. ET
Sunday, Jan. 9
AFC: Baltimore at Kansas City (CBS), 1 p.m. ET
NFC: Green Bay at Philadelphia (FOX), 4:30 p.m. ET
Divisional playoffs
Saturday, Jan. 15
AFC: Indianapolis or Kansas City or Baltimore at Pittsburgh (CBS), 4:30 p.m. ET
NFC: Seattle or New Orleans or Green Bay at Atlanta (FOX), 8 p.m. ET
Sunday, Jan. 16
NFC: Philadelphia or Seattle or New Orleans at Chicago (FOX), 1 p.m. ET
AFC: Kansas City or Baltimore or N.Y. Jets at New England (CBS), 4:30 p.m. ET
In the divisional playoffs, the division champion with the best record in each conference will host the lowest-seeded wild-card survivor. Once teams are seeded for the playoffs, positions do not change:
American Football Conference: 1. New England (14-2, AFC East champion), 2. Pittsburgh (12-4, AFC North champion), 3. Indianapolis (10-6, AFC South champion),4. Kansas City (10-6, AFC West champion), 5. Baltimore (12-4), 6. New York Jets (11-5).
National Football Conference: 1. Atlanta (13-3, NFC South champion), 2. Chicago (11-5, NFC North champion), 3. Philadelphia (10-6, NFC East champion), 4. Seattle (7-9, NFC West champion), 5. New Orleans (11-5), 6. Green Bay (10-6).
The AFC (CBS, 6:30 p.m. ET) and NFC (FOX, 3 p.m. ET) championship games will be played on Sunday, Jan. 23.
The 2011 Pro Bowl (FOX, 7 p.m. ET) will be played on Sunday, Jan. 30 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, one week before Super Bowl XLV takes place at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, Feb. 6 (FOX, 6:30 p.m. ET).


text:
Arlington, TX – Adrian Beltre clubbed a solo home run and scored twice to help the Texas Rangers take a 6-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a three-game set on Tuesday.
Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Leonys Martin each knocked in a run for the Rangers, who have won four of their last six games.
Matt Harrison (16-9) earned the victory after giving up two runs on five hits and three walks over 5 2/3 frames. Joe Nathan fired a perfect ninth to nail down his 32nd save of the season.
Ubaldo Jimenez (9-16) yielded five runs -- two earned -- on four hits and four walks over five innings to take his fifth straight losing decision.
Matt LaPorta smacked an RBI double in the setback, Cleveland's fourth straight.
"I did everything possible to be close on the scoreboard," Jimenez said. "The guys didn't give up, they didn't get disappointed. That's what we have to do is finish the season strong."
The Rangers plated four in the second inning, as Beltre reached second on third baseman Jason Donald's throwing error to start the frame.
After a fly ball moved Beltre to third, Young registered the game's first hit with a single up the middle and Mitch Moreland followed with a double into the right-field corner before Young crossed home on a wild pitch.
A Geovany Soto walk put runners on the corners and Moreland scored on a sacrifice fly from Martin before Kinsler scorched a double into the left-field corner to plate Soto from first and extend the margin to 4-0.
"When somebody makes an error or make mistakes we capitalize on it which is good," Beltre said of the second inning. "We scored about three runs in that inning that turned out to win the game."
Harrison held the Tribe hitless over the first four frames, but issued a one- out walk to Brent Lillibridge in the fifth before Donald got Cleveland its first hit with a liner into center field.
Thomas Neal's force out at second found runners on the corners and Ezequiel Carrera followed with a looping single into shallow center field to score Lillibridge and trim the margin to 4-1.
Beltre quickly got the run back in the bottom half when he launched a leadoff blast into left-center field. It was originally ruled a double, but the umpires reviewed the play and awarded Beltre with his 31st homer of the year to restore Texas' four-run edge.
In the sixth, Russ Canzler smacked a two-out single and came around to score when LaPorta launched a double off the base of the wall in center field to bring the Indians within 5-2 and chase Harrison from the contest.
Alexi Ogando entered and grounded out Brent Lillibridge before Texas added a run in the bottom half when Martin doubled, stole third and finally scored on Andrus' two-out base hit to center field.
Cleveland battled back in the eighth, as Canzler plated a run with an RBI groundout and, after pinch-hitter Lonnie Chisenhall walked, Koji Uehara entered and served up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Casey Kotchman.
Tanner Scheppers was then called on from the bullpen to face pinch-hitter Michael Brantley, who was caught looking at strike three to end the threat.
Game Notes
Jimenez hasn't won since Aug. 9, spanning six starts ... Andrus has hit safely in all 30 of his career games against Cleveland ... Texas outfielder David Murphy recorded his 50th stolen base of his career in the third inning.


text: JP Shadley, FASLA, is the founding principal of Shadley Associates Landscape Architects. For 30 years, Shadley has created landscapes that contribute substantially to the quality of life, environmental health, and vibrancy of the public realm. His projects become compelling places that balance experiential design, the public interest, and sustainability. Shadley received his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon and his Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. His experience includes serving as the president of the Boston Society of Landscape Architects and as the Boston Society of Landscape Architects' representative on the Central Artery Design Task Force during the design of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.Andrew Arbaugh, ASLA, is a landscape designer at Shadley Associates ,where he works on a variety residential estate and public projects. In addition to his work at Shadley Associates, Andrew is an introductory architecture and landscape architecture instructor at the Boston Architectural College.Andrew received a Master in Landscape Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design and his Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Bucknell University.


text:
To a certain group of fans, Benedict Cumberbatch is the most important person on Earth. These people — Cumberbitches, as they have named themselves on Twitter and elsewhere — have an active subreddit devoted to the Sherlock star's exploits; they GIF and meme him on countless Tumblrs. (Have you seen the one about the otters? It's pretty good.) The Cumberbitches have gained such notoriety that Benedict himself is quizzed about them in interviews. ("It's flattering, though I worry about what it says about feminism," he told InStyle. "It's quite a pejorative term.") When he was recently denied the American cover of Time (he remained on international editions), the Cumberbitches pilloried the magazine on Twitter.
Time presumably made this decision because a majority of its readers have no idea who Benedict Cumberbatch is. Despite a prominent if spoiler-protected role in the very profitable Star Trek Into Darkness and 3.2 million viewers for Sherlock — plus, of course, the hard work of the Cumberbitches, who tweeted about him roughly 700,000 times this year — Cumberbatch only has a 10 percent awareness rating in America, according to the market research firm E-Score, which provided data for Vulture's Most Valuable Stars equation. Put bluntly: He is an enormous star on the Internet — outside of that, not so much.
He is not alone. The limit of celebrity Internet fame was a common theme during Vulture's Most Valuable Stars calculations; many actors who had a demonstrable online presence also had minimal national recognition. This is true of many online phenomena — you can read countless blog posts mourning how Community is watched by almost no one. The cultural echo chamber is not new, and anything can be popular on the Internet: It is large, customizable, and, if you dig around long enough, you can find a weird corner dedicated to just about anything. Or, to quote The New York Times Magazine's popularity issue: "the concept of cultural popularity has been flayed, hung by its heels and drained of all meaning." Still, fame is an undeniable asset to actors — sometimes their most important quality — and it figures heavily in the Most Valuable Stars calculation. Again and again in this process, we hit against the divide that a seemingly beloved actor or actress, with a vocal fan base and studio resources, is not recognizable to the public at large.
Take Ryan Gosling (No. 26), walking meme and BuzzFeed's pet cause. To gauge the online fandom of each star for Vulture's rankings, Twitter provided Vulture with the median number of daily tweets mentioning each actor over the past year; Gosling is in the top ten of this metric. His studio value (the score that our anonymous panel of execs and producers assigned each actor based on how much his or her casting can boost the box office prospects of a movie in the star's most reliable genre) is very high, an 8, the same as Matt Damon and Will Smith. He's never starred in a $100 million movie, but studios are so confident of his talent and fandom that they strongly believe that he can attract more people to his kind of film. (Note that this is all proportional: Gosling doesn't do superhero movies, but in his wheelhouse — lower-budget complex dramas — he can bring in far more people than would otherwise pay to see the film.) And yet, E-Score polling reveals that less than 50 percent of Americans know who he is. (For comparison, his studio-scoremates Matt Damon and Will Smith are at 73 and 89 percent awareness respectively; most movie stars are in the 50 to 70 percent range.) Gosling's low awareness is fine for small-budget films like Drive and Blue Valentine, which don't rely on mass attendance. But if studios think that he is a major figure whose presence (fingers crossed!) may someday drive people to a bigger-platform film, they may be overestimating his celebrity status.
Then look at Jennifer Lawrence, America's new BFF. She's an Internet idol, twelfth in Twitter mentionsand No. 3 on the Total MVS list. Unlike Gosling, she is tied to a major franchise, Hunger Games, and has won an Oscar — and yet, surprisingly, she only has 34 percent national awareness. Her movies have proved wildly popular (even the secret rom-com Silver Linings Playbook made $236 million worldwide), but as a known celebrity, she hasn't hit critical mass. The Internet would find this inconceivable, but it's important to remember that it is a very big country, and not all of it uses Tumblr. The list goes on: James Franco, who ranks eighteenth in Twitter mentions, has seemed ubiquitous for the better part of four years with his exhaustive and exhaustively commented-upon multitasking, and yet he is still only famous to 39 percent of this great nation. Emma Stone, Josh Hutcherson, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are all under the 40 percent mark, with disproportionately high Twitter scores (and fan pages aplenty) and a high percentage of those who do know them do find them likable. Paul Rudd is considered a beloved comedy staple online, but the low grosses of many of the wider-release movies he's headlined (Admission, Wanderlust, How Do You Know) indicate a disconnect about his national value as a leading man.
As noted above, being famous on the web is not a detriment; Gosling demonstrates that Internet popularity can help a star land bigger roles or wider coverage, which theoretically broaden his or her appeal. And there can be a qualitative difference in online enthusiasm: Jennifer Lawrence gets talked about for her work and personality, while Andrew Garfield gets attention largely because he was swept up in the fanboy culture surrounding his role as Spider-Man. As a result, his national awareness is a very low 10 percent. (Henry Cavill, Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth — none of whom top 25 percent awareness — are also victim to the Superhero Effect.) Celebrities who are Internet-popular on their own, and not because of the social media storm that surrounds a teen franchise or a Joss Whedon movie, are far likelier to break out of their limited fame. But that takes time. Right now, the definition of celebrity becomes very different when you close your Internet tabs and go out in the world to talk with people.
This is still better than the alternative: Ten years ago, Benedict Cumberbatch would have been "that guy" — the random British character actor who shows up in every single prestige movie and whom maybe you read about once, in an end-of-the-year magazine sidebar on best performances. Now your initial interest can lead you to IMDb and a community of other like-minded likers; next thing you know, you're spending three hours watching GIFs. The upside of the Internet's bewildering ability to turn small oddities into viral sensations is that fan favorites — like Gosling, Cumberbatch, and golden boy Channing Tatum — have more opportunities for exposure. It may not always translate into legitimate fame, but then, neither did old, analog cult fandom. At least this gives them more of a running start.